State funeral
A state funeral is a public funeral ceremony held to honor heads of state or other important people of national significance. They usually include much pomp and ceremony.
In the United Kingdom
A state funeral consists of a military procession via gun carriage from the private resting chapel to Westminster Hall, where the body usually lies in state for three days. This is then followed by a funeral service at Westminster Abbey or St. Paul's Cathedral.
Many of the features of a state funeral are shared by other types of funeral - a Royal Ceremonial funeral (for example, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother's) often has a lying in state and Westminster Abbey service. The distinction between a state funeral and a ceremonial funeral is that in a state funeral, the gun carriage bearing the coffin is drawn by sailors from the Royal Navy rather than horses.
The honour of a state funeral is usually reserved for the Sovereign as Head of State. Few others have had them:
- Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson
- Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
- The Rt Hon. William Gladstone
- The Rt Hon. Sir Winston Churchill
(Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield was offered the honour, but refused it.)
In the United States
In the U.S., state funerals are granted by law to Presidents, former Presidents, Presidents-elect, and other individuals designated by the President. The decision whether to have a state funeral is ultimately made by them and/or their family members.
While tradition and protocol greatly influence the funeral planning, the exact sequence of events is largely determined by the family of the deceased. Most state funerals, including those for Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Reagan have included the following events: repose in home state before traveling to Washington, D.C.; formal funeral procession in horse-drawn caisson along Constitution Avenue to U.S. Capitol; repose in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol; memorial service in Washington, D.C., and then travel to final resting place for internment.
Some better known U. S. Presidents who have had State funerals and have lied "in state" under the Capitol Rotunda in Washington, D.C. are Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and John F. Kennedy. All of these but Kennedy were moved long distances by funeral train procession, where thousands of citizens would line the railroad tracks to pay their last respects. Kennedy was transported by his former Air Force One airplane with then new President Lyndon B. Johnson aboard from his place of death in Dallas, Texas back to Washington, D.C.
Because he and his family did not wish to rekindle ill will by going east to Washington, D.C., considering the events of the Watergate Scandal, Richard Nixon's funeral was held at the Richard M. Nixon Library and Birthplace at Yorba Linda, California where he is buried.
President Ronald Reagan's state funeral
Shortly after the death of former President Ronald Reagan on June 5, it was announced that a state funeral would be held to honor him. The last funeral of a President held in Washington D.C. had been that of Lyndon Johnson in 1973.
President Reagan lay in repose at his presidential library in Simi Valley, California for two days beginning at noon Monday, June 7, 2004. Though only around 20,000 people were expected to view the flag-draped casket there, over 50,000 did. The last of these visitors left around late evening, Tuesday, June 8, 2004. The casket was then flown from Point Mugu Naval Air Station, Ventura County, California to Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland late Wednesday morning, June 9, 2004. The plane that was used to transport the casket and family members is one of two that is called Air Force One when the sitting President occupies it. Accordingly, this Boeing 747 jet plane used the callsign "Special Air Mission 28000" instead.
From Andrews AFB, President Reagan's casket was taken by hearse to an area in front of the south lawn of the White House. From there, it was transferred to a horse-drawn caisson and the procession proceeded down Pennsylvania Avenue. A riderless horse with Reagan's boots in the stirrups placed backwards - symbolizing his last ride - rode behind the caisson. Upon arriving at the U.S. Capitol, three military honor guard teams acted as pallbearers as they carried the casket up into the Capitol Rotunda.
In the U.S. Capitol that same evening, June 9, 2004, the "official" State funeral was given. The chaplains from the U.S. House of Representatives and the U. S. Senate officiated. The three eulogies given that evening were from President pro tempore of the Senate Ted Stevens of Alaska, Speaker of the House of Representatives Dennis Hastert of Illinois, and President of the Senate Dick Cheney.
The honor guard, whose members represent each of the armed services, continued to guard the flag-draped casket in shifts until President Reagan's casket was removed to the invitation-only Remembrance service at the Washington National Cathedral. Over 106,000 people came to view the casket at the Capitol Rotunda..
On Friday, June 11, 2004 a national funeral service with President Reagan's flag-draped casket in view was held at the Washington National Cathedral. Former First Lady Nancy Reagan and President Reagan's family attended. All the living former U.S. Presidents were at the service, as were Al Gore, Sandra Day O'Connor, The Prince of Wales, Mikhail Gorbachev, and many other past and present world leaders. Eulogies were given by former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, former British Prime Minister Lady Thatcher, former President George H. W. Bush, and President George W. Bush. Lady Thatcher, present but unable to speak publically at the services due to her own health problems, gave a taped eulogy viewed on screen. Following that service, President Reagan's casket was taken to Andrews AFB. From there, it was flown back to Point Mugu NAS and the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California for a sunset burial. His three living children gave their own eulogies at the Library with around 700 invited family friends and guests present.
The Remembrance service and the sunset burial ceremony were events in addition to the official State funeral already held at the U. S. Capitol June 9, 2004. All of these events were planned years earlier. Each living U. S. President - current or former - is required to have funeral plans in place upon becoming President. These details become more important upon leaving office, as it reduces stress for the President's family in an era of worldwide electronic media scrutiny.